GenevaLunch » Politics

Swiss bank surveillance gets tougher

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:08:34 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss financial surveillance body Finma will be keeping a closer eye on Swiss banks, particularly the two big banks UBS and Credit Suisse, under rules approved by the governing Federal Council Wednesday 23 May. Finma will work more closely with corporate auditors and strengthen its field team with the goal of [...]

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Foreigner workers’ salaries: record 27,000 checked for abuse

Ellen Wallace — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:56:06 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – A record 27,000 foreign workers’ salaries and working conditions in Switzerland were checked in 2011 for suspicion of abuse, in particular for underpayment. The number of short-term labourers (three month contracts) brought into Switzerland rose, which accounts in part for the increase in suspected cases of labour force abuse. Traditionally, about half [...]

Foreigner workers’ salaries: record 27,000 checked for abuse © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Jordan and Danthine to head SNB

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:17:17 +0000

GenevaLunch.com Jean Studer named bank commission president ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The new head of the Swiss National Bank is Thomas Jordan, as widely expected, in the role of chairman of the governing board. Jean-Pierre Danthine has been named vice-chairman of the board and Fritz Zurbrügg has been named to the board by the Swiss Federal Council. Jean [...]

Jordan and Danthine to head SNB © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Swiss central bank tightens staff rules, selects new chairman

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:17:21 +0000

GenevaLunch.com New chairman not yet named, but expected Wednesday morning ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss National Bank governors meeting in Zurich Wednesday 18 April are expected to name a new chairman to lead the central bank. Zurich media rumours fed by newspaper NZZ have had it for the past two weeks that Thomas Jordan, acting chairman, [...]

Swiss central bank tightens staff rules, selects new chairman © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Switzerland officially enters Geneva as Green Climate Fund host

Ellen Wallace — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:41:38 +0000

GenevaLunch.com GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Switzerland officially presented Geneva Thursday 12 April as a candidate to host the Green Climate Fund permanent secretariat. Switzerland is also running for a seat on the GCF’s Executive Board. Germany and South Korea are currently the only other candidates. The provisional seat is in Bonn. The GCF was created in 2010, [...]

Switzerland officially enters Geneva as Green Climate Fund host © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

“No patents on seeds” report gets strong backing from Swissaid, Bern Declaration

Ellen Wallace — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:17:24 +0000

GenevaLunch.com BERN, SWITZERLAND – Two major Swiss organizations, humanitarian agency Swissaid and the non-profit group Bern Declaration, called Wednesday morning 4 April for “urgent political action” to be taken in light of the “No patents on seeds” report, made public today. The report indicates that despite a European Patent Office (EPO) decision at the highest level [...]

“No patents on seeds” report gets strong backing from Swissaid, Bern Declaration © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Jobless rate in EU continues to inch up

Ellen Wallace — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:17:39 +0000

GenevaLunch.com GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The jobless rate in the eurozone rose to yet another record high of 10.8 percent, up from 10.7 percent in January, figures released Monday 2 April show. The BBC reports a number of economists now in agreement that the euro area is in recession. Ironically, the Daily Telegraph in the UK publishes [...]

Jobless rate in EU continues to inch up © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Nyon’s rivers given space to head back to nature

Ellen Wallace — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:07:29 +0000

GenevaLunch.com NYON, SWITZERLAND – The Asse and the Cossy, two rivers that run through Nyon, are getting a tree-trimming this week, part of a larger project to return the waterways to a natural state. Helicopters were operating last week and will return to the job Tuesday 13 March to remove dense tree growth in the wooded [...]

Nyon’s rivers given space to head back to nature © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

Head for France – fast – if you still have old French francs!

Ellen Wallace — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:57:07 +0000

GenevaLunch.com Friday is the last day to change your aging French francs for euros GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Exactly 10 years ago the French franc was put to rest as France’s currency, and today is the last day any of those old bills can be exchanged for euros at banks in France. The government has been calling [...]

Head for France – fast – if you still have old French francs! © genevalunch.com, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported.

New bank notes delayed by a year

Ellen Wallace — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:24:19 +0000

GenevaLunch.com ZURICH/ BERN – New Swiss bank notes, tentatively scheduled to make their appearance towards the end of 2012, are being delayed for a year. The Swiss National Bank says that “unexpected technical problems were encountered in an early production stage” and that it will announce the issue date “as soon as the first banknote denomination [...]